Someone has said: "Life is like chapters full of pages. After you have read it, experienced it, and turned the page, don't stick to the original chapter." Turning the page is a portrayal of life. Studying, traveling across the ocean, getting married, becoming a parent, getting a job, retiring... Yes, life is always turning the page. Each stage may be a long or short chapter. In the many chapters of life, we learn many valuable lessons, such as: “There is no eternity in this world, only now."

Employment may be the longest chapter in many people's lives. After working for more than thirty years, the page has turned. There is no need to worry about progress, no need to worry about annual performance reviews, no need to work on boring projects, and no need to rush to meetings. Although we may occasionally recall those memories, I soon realized: all these have now passed; it is life — there is no need to be sad or nostalgic. In this life, we must look forward and run toward the goal.

The author of Ecclesiastes saw it clearly when he said, "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to keep, and a time to cast away" (Eccl. 3:1 ESV). These words of wisdom have brought about much comfort.

We like to maintain the status quo and stay in our preferred "chapter." Turning the page means change, change begets unknowns, and unknowns beget uncertainty. God called Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. God called the Apostle Paul to go to the Gentiles. God called you and me to become His children. He calls us to serve Him together, and also calls us to use all our spiritual gifts to build His church. Yes, God often asks us to turn the page, but the uncertainty brought about by turning the page makes us full of reluctance. As I reluctantly turned the page and suddenly looked back, I was amazed by His leading and provision in the midst of those changes, and it naturally allowed me to experience His faithfulness. It turns out that, after all, to experience God’s wonders, we must turn the page with faith!

Yes! Every stage of life is turning the page. This is God’s design, a law of life for us. Our creator promises us that His unchanging love and presence will guide us through every turn of life. Psalm 65:11 says, “You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.”

Our page-turning chapters of life create a wonderful drama. This is the most real stage in life. We are all standing on the stage and vigorously performing. The applause we need does not come from people, because our ultimate audience is God Himself. In the end, which drama are we going to play?